Chapter 13 - THE COUNTERMOVE
Marjorie did not collapse.
She counterattacked.
By sunrise, three newspapers reported that Grant Caldwell had stolen confidential company data while suffering a “marital breakdown.”
The company board scheduled an emergency meeting to remove him as CEO.
Federal investigators received an anonymous claim that Rebecca’s evidence had been manipulated.
Camille disappeared.
And Thomas Reed was found with a one-way ticket to Canada and two hundred thousand dollars in cash.
Marjorie had built layers.
Every witness could be discredited.
Every document had a competing explanation.
Every accusation pointed back at Claire.
“She expected evidence,” Rebecca said. “She designed doubt.”
Claire understood.
Marjorie’s real weapon was not secrecy.
It was ambiguity.
So Claire stopped trying to prove everything at once.
She targeted one fact.
The brakes.
Camille had cut them.
But on whose instruction?
Claire searched the copied hard drive.
There were thousands of files.
Then she found a recording dated three days before Daniel’s crash.
Marjorie and Camille.
Camille’s voice:
“I can keep him from the meeting. That’s all.”
Marjorie:
“Do what needs to be done.”
Camille:
“You said scare him.”
Marjorie:
“I said stop him.”
Silence.
Then Marjorie again:
“And if he refuses to stop himself, consequences belong to him.”
It was not a direct order to kill.
Marjorie had been careful.
But it proved knowledge.
Rebecca frowned.
“A good defense attorney will say she meant stop him legally.”
Claire nodded.
“Then we need Camille.”
Grant looked exhausted.
“She won’t testify.”
“She might if we give her something Marjorie can’t.”
“What?”
Claire thought of Camille’s brother.
The blackmail file.
The original evidence Marjorie had used to control her.
Helen knew where it was.
A safe-deposit box in Boston.
They obtained the file.
But when Claire opened it, she discovered another lie.
Camille’s brother had not caused the fatal accident eight years earlier.
Marjorie had.
She had struck a pedestrian after drinking at a fundraiser.
Camille’s brother had taken responsibility in exchange for Marjorie paying his legal defense and supporting his family.
Camille had spent eight years believing her brother’s freedom depended on silence.
Claire called her.
No answer.
She sent one photograph from the file.
Five minutes later, Camille called.
Her voice trembled.
“Where did you get that?”
“Your mother lied to you.”
Camille was silent.
Claire continued.
“She didn’t save your brother. She used him.”
Another silence.
Then Camille whispered:
“Tell me where to meet.”
Claire gave her the address of Rebecca’s office.
Camille arrived forty minutes later.
But she was not alone.
Two federal agents walked in behind her.
Claire stared.
May you like
Camille looked at her.
“I already made a deal.”
